Fence-post



(No Model.) F.l L. FAIRCHILD.

FENCE POST.

Patented May 3, 1887.

5; IWW A JMA UNrTED vSTATES PATENT Ormea..

FRANK L. FAIROHILD, OF MOUNT VERNON, OHIO.

FENCE- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,436, dated May 3, 1857.

Application filed January 4, 1887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. FAIRCHILD,

Y of Mount Vernon, in the county of Knox and with sharp points or ribs, or the like.

State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that kind of fencepost which is provided with a burnt-clay or pottery base, and it has more particular reference to a post of this charactell which has a metal stem and shank, although it is also applicable to a post having a wooden stem.

Under my improvement the shank-consists ot' two strips or pieces of metal extending vertically or in the direction of the length of the post, in substantial parallelism with and at a suitable distance apart from each other. The burntclay base has two distinct openings through it, one for each leg of the shank, each opening being made of shape and lsize to fit snugly the leg which is to pass through it. The parts of thev base of the post are secured together by means of wedge keys passing through slots in the lower ends of the legs of the shank, which project beyond the bottom of the burnt-clay base, Vsaid keys acting to" force the burnt-clay base up against@ shoulder or abutment or cross-piece at the junction of the stem and shank; or, in lieu of wedgekeys, nuts may be used, the same being applied to the lower projecting ends of the legs, which for thispurpose should'be screwthreaded. Jlhe burnt clay is in practice made in two or more sections, and this construction I prefer on many accounts. I also in some cases corrugate the surfaces of the openings or passages in the burnt clay through which the legs of the shank pass, or form said surfaces These points or ribs will rub off or give way vwhen the shank is driven into and through the base, thus compensating for shrinkage or other variations in the size of the openings which may take place when the bases are burned.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of metallic fenceposts combined with burnt-clay bases in aca cordance with my improvementA Fig. 3 is a like elevation of a post, the stem of which is wood. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line 4 4, Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 are plan views of differ ent forms of burntclay sections or bases POST;

Serial No. 923,367. (No model.)

In the post shown in Figs. l and 2 the stem c is of metal and is in one with the part b, which is one of the legs of the shank. The other leg of the shank consists of the lower portion of the rod c, which rod,l above the point where the shank terminates, isbent or inclined toward the stem a, to which it is bolted or riveted at the point c', thus forming a strong brace-rod for the stem.

The two parts b c may be of any suitable or desired length and crosssection. Their crosssection may, for instance, be similar to that of any oneof the shapes illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 with respect to the openings or passagesp in the burnt-clay sections or bases. The legs b c, which form the shank, are combined with a burntclay base, consistingdin this instance of three superposed sectionsf c f. \These sections are each formed with two distinct vertical openings or passages, p, one for each leg of the shank, each opening or passage being of such size and shape as to fit snugly the leg b or c, which passes through it. Inasmuch as these openings or passages are formed in the clay beforeit is burned, and are consequently liable to warp slightly or shrink during the burning operation, it may be found desirable and convenient to corrugate their interior sur faces or to provide the same with ribs or points, as indicated in Fig. 8, so that when the legs are driven through the passages the points or ribs can rub off or giveway, and thus compensate for any slight distortion of shrinkage occasioned by the burning operation. It may be well to here remark, also, that the tool by which these openings or passages are formed in the unburnt clay can have its two parts which form the passages b c connected by a cross-piece, which will stiften and strengthen the tool materially. In this event the crosspiece would form in the clay block or section a crossepassage, p', connecting the two leg-receiving passages or openings p,- but this cross passage would in no material sense detract from the stability of the block.

After the burnt-clay sections are fitted upon the legs of the shank, they are secured in place by wedgekeys Je, which are driven through slots in the lower projecting ends of the legs b c, and serve to force the sections up against a retainingshoulder or abutment at the top of the shank. This shoulder or abutment in Fig.

IOO

l consists of a cross piece or plate, I, which extends between the legs Z) c just below the horizontal shoulder or stop plates or strips m, held to the legs l) c by rivets or bolts n. In Fig. 2 it consists of a cross bolt or rod, o, held to the two legs I) c by nuls or thelilie.

The scctionsor blocks constitutingthe burnt clay or pottery bases may have any suitable or desired configuration in cross-section, and may, if desired, be externally tinted or Corrugated, as shown in Fig. G.

To hold the wire to the stem of the metal post, I make use of a loop or staple, d, Fig. l., which straddles the wires and has its legs insorted into and through holes formed for them in the stem a. ln the legs of the loop, which project through the post, are slots, in which is driven a wedgekey, f, the loop thus being drawn up tightly and securely to place. rI his arrangement is cheaper, better, and more effective than any heretofore employed to my knowledge. It Costs very much less than any fastening involving the use of nut and screw, and the loop form is not only easy and simple ot' manufacture, but permits less metal to be used in the device than if it were a hook.

In the post shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the stem a' is of wood. To opposite faces of this wooden stem, and near its lowereud, are secured by erossbolts r metal bars, which form the shanklegs Z c. These bars, as shown in Fig. 4, are troughshaped in cross-section, and their two side llanges or edges are driven or forced into the wooden stem. rlhe bottom ofthe wooden stem forms the abutment against which the sectional burnt-clay base is forced. In other rcspects the base is similar to the one described by reference to Figs. l and 2.

I do not here claim the combination, with a metallic fencc-postand a leg opposite the lower end or shank ot' said post, of an upper crossbar having an elongated opening, a bottom cross-bar having a corresponding elongated opening, and wedges to enter said openings, as this specitic combination has been made by mc the subject of the fifth claim of my application, Serial No. 230,981, tiled March 15, 1887; nor do I claim here, broadly, the fence-post provided with a metallic frame made of flanged or channel iron, in combination with a burnt-clay or pottery base tongued so as to enter and fit bctween said flanges, this feature being also the subject of my aforesaid application, Serial N o. 230,981, as is also the feature of a fence-post having a contractible and expansible flanged base holding frame, in combination with tongued burnt-clay or pottery sections held by said frame.

Having described myimprovement, what I claim herein as new and of my own invention 1sl. A fence-post comprising a stem, a twolegged shank, a burnt-clay base formed with separate and distinct openings or passages through it-one for each leg of the shank-a shoulder or abutment at the top of the twolegged shank, against which the base can be forced, and means, substantially as described, for forcing said base from below up against the said shoulder or abutment, as and for the pur poses hcrcinbcfore set forth.

2. The burnt-elay block formed with shankreceiving openings' or 'passages having corru gated or ribbed intcriorsurtaces, as and for the purposes hcreinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof l. haveherennto set my hand this 13th day of December, 1886.

FRANK L. FAIRCIIILD.

Vitnesses:

L. P. lIoLnRooK, M. B. XVALTER. 

